CaLifornia Dreamin'

We rolled out of Arches National Park looking behind us the whole time- trying to catch a last glimpse of the park- until we came further into the mountain ranges of Utah.

snowman finally looks more at home with some snow in the background!

We spent the night in Park City with some more friends of Bruce's- Liam and MJ- who treated us to some epic floor space and a sweet tour of Park City. Bruce spent a winter working at the Canyons Resort, and he did an excellent job as tour guide and navigator. Lisa hadn't been feeling stellar, and was introduced to the miracles preformed by hot toddies- a little whiskey, hot water, honey and lemon makes anyone feel better!

We left late the next day, as we spent some time deliberating over whether or not to hike and ski some chutes in PC before hitting the road- but in the end, our desire to hit Cali prevailed, and we walked away from a bluebird day in Utah with minimal regrets.

Before crossing the salt flats, we HAD to stop for a hamburger at Hires Big H burger in Salt Lake City- recommended by Lisa and my's new favorite website, www.roadfood.com . Road Food lists the best places to go and eat in certain areas. The website listed Hires as a detour worthy of planning a day around- a must for sure!

Hires still rocked the 50's feel- you could park in the parking lot and have food served to you in your car, or you could walk inside to place your order. We all opted for the original Big H burger, complete with fry sauce (a Hires speciality) and the add on of pickles. The service was good, the burgers delicious, and the lemon coke/ cherry limeade made the stop more then worth it!

We continued on, crossing the salt flats, and passed a truck carrying the largest tires I have ever seen. Even after a wikipedia session, I still struggle to understand the need for tires possessing such and extravagant radius.

We continued driving west into one of the most spectacular sunsets I have ever seen- as the sierra's came into view, I had to pull the car over to take a few shots...

Roadtrip mobile driving into the wild west

First California sunset of many

We finally rolled into Tahoe to crash on Rodney, Kyle, and Trav's floor around 10:30- Stoked on phase one of the road trip and excited for what was to come in the next two weeks!

Please Visit Your National Parks

As sad as it was to leave Colorado Springs and the amazing hospitality of Mark and Suze, it was time to get back on the road and continue our trip for maximum playtime.

We swung by Safeway to load up on provisions, only to discover the joy of jalepeno cheddar bagels. Un real. Loaded up, re-organized and rested, we continued on- taking the scenic Colorado Highway 24 past Beuna Vista to head over towards Durango. Highway 24 is spectacular, and one of my favorite roads from my road trip last year. I was thrilled that Bruce and Lisa got to see it. We lucked out with weather too- while it was windy as all hell, the sky was clear and we had an amazing view of the mountain ranges, resulting in many roadside stops for photos.

I brave the wind to take a few photos

The scenery is spectacular through Colorado and so varied. We drove past mountain ranges and pillar like rock formations, lakes and rivers all within a short period of time.

After Highway 24 we jumped on Colorado Highway 550 to take us down towards Durango. 550 winds its way through the San Juan Mountains, passing through small mining and ski towns such as Ouray and Silverton. The curves on the road are sharp, with treacherous ravines down below, and a noticeable lack of guard rails.

While we had grand plans to make it out to Mesa Verde, we got sidetracked in the town of Ouray- an old mining town lining the sides of 550, nestled into the mountains north of Silverton. We wandered around Ouray, and decided to stop and have a beer. We found a small, local brewery owned and operated by a man named "Hutch"- skier, kayaker, mountain biker, brewer of amazing beer. The Ourayle brewpub had about 5 beers on tap- all locally made by Hutch. It was one of the coolest little pubs I've ever seen- there is a swing behind the bar, and a littany of hand-lettered signs stating that the hours of the pub are subject to change due to ski conditions and water levels.

This sign is going wherever I end up living and/or working.

We spent a solid hour or 2 with Hutch, sampling his ales, and learning about Ouray before we headed back on our way with a growler of deliciousness and stickers to spread the love.

We made it as far as Durango before regrouping the next morning for a day of national park adventures.

Our first stop was Mesa Verde state park- home to cliff dwellings hundreds of years old and still in remarkable condition. We woke up to snowy, blustery conditions, and were seriously debating our choice to go hiking into the cliffs- due largely to our lack of appropriate clothing-when, as we drove further into the park, the sun opened up just in time- giving us a perfect morning. We were only able to go to Cliff Palace, one of many dwellings in the park due in part to weather and to the season. Cliff Palace is the largest dwelling in the park, and a pretty spectacular site. I was told by our tour guide that I was the ideal size of a woman in the days of the cliff dwellings- which lisa and bruce thought was hysterical- as he insinuated that I was smaller then a normal person.

Bruce checks out Cliff Palace Site at Mesa Verde- at one time it was home to somewhere between 50-200 people.

I attempt to navigate our way through the park.

After Mesa we continued on our way towards Cali, with a stop in Arches National Park once we hit Utah. Again, we hit perfect weather, just missing storm clouds for beautiful sunny skies during our time in the park.

Driving into the park with our road snowman- a housewarming gift for Lisa and I that came on the road with us.

Lisa and Bruce super excited to be in Arches National Park

The three of us pose for a pic at Double Arch

View of Double Arch from the distance

We spent the large part of an afternoon driving around Moab, and could easily have spent another full day there. It is a place I hope to go back to at some point in the future- absolutely a beautiful part of the states.

In the Garden of the Gods

We made it to Colorado Springs in a mere 30 hours from Canada, arriving at a friend of Bruce's house, and crashed out pretty hard.

The next day, however, we rallied big time for some climbing missions. Colorado Springs, is apparently, a mecca and ultimate playground for rock climbing. Mark, who were we staying with, and his friend Brian, who owns a climbing company in the area- Front Range Climbing- treated us and took us out climbing on a few Colorado Springs classics. Brian also provided us with harnesses, helmets and ropes... you know, the small things.

Our first stop was in the Garden of the Gods, where we got a "warm up climb", as neither Lisa nor I had ever done any outdoor climbing. We couldn't have been in better hands, and both Mark and Brian took excellent care of us, and Bruce, our Belayer couldn't let us crash too hard as we had hidden the car keys.

Brian Belays while Mark leads the climb.

For all our climbs, Mark would go first and set the rope for us, meaning that Mark had to climb up to find anchor points for ropes which set our safety. He would climb without any back-up until the first anchor point, and then he had wherever he had last anchored himself as his safety. Pretty Badass. After that, Lisa, Bruce and I would climb. While Bruce's lots of experience clearly showed, we didn't do too bad for first timers.

Lisa killing it on the first climb.

Climbing aside, Garden of the Gods is absolutely stunning.

Rocks in the Garden

You can see it from the road, and it is a public park with free access. There is a bevy of walking trails and paths that allow easy access to the rock or to the park itself. As we set up to climb, groups of school children and many other people would stop by to watch for a while, and then continue on their way. The views are spectacular, even from the ground.

Walking into the Garden

The rocks in the Garden are stunningly red- which was made more evident by our blue bird skies. We honestly couldn't have asked for a better day weather wise. The lack of wind meant that we had the opportunity to climb Montezuma's Tower, one of the classic Garden climbs that is challenging in how exposed it is- both the rock and the climber on it.

Montezuma's Tower.

Montezuma's Tower is a narrow fin that the climber has to scale. Because there is air on either side of you, it is pretty intimidating mentally. You feel super exposed, and it is a little unnerving.

I contemplate the climb ahead of me

Clearly Lisa and I aced our first climb- and we had fantastic company, or we wouldn't have attempted something like the Tower our first day out climbing. I never felt unsupported, and they let us rappel after the first half of the climb, before the boys continued on to a steeper pitch.

Bruce continues on with Mark ahead and Brian below.

Lisa and I enjoyed the sunshine and hung out with Winston, Mark's dog- while we watched the boys on the tower. It was impressive to get to watch Brian, Mark and Bruce climb- they made it look easy- and they were absolutely still having fun. It was even more fun to watch after having been up there.

Bruce, Mark and Brian sit on the Tower before continuing the climb. The Rock is Enormous!

After the Garden we headed down the road about 7 minutes to Red Rock Canyon, another free park in the area with great climbing- but in a totally different style. While the climbs in the Garden had obvious and clear holds, the climb at Red Rock was much smoother rock, with no great secure place for either your hands or feet. Mark and Bruce called it "mantle moves", where you are using your body as though you are trying to get out of a pool without a ladder. After watching Bruce and CJ (another climber friend of Brian and Mark's that joined us) I was hesitant, but gave the climb a go. It was pretty challenging, but felt amazing to have made it to the top. (It took a few tries in one small section, but i eventually figured out how to smoosh my feet more effectively into the rock to give me more support and leverage.)

One of the most special parts of our day was getting to watch Brian climb. Brian had been diagnosed with a brain tumor about the size of a baseball a mere 3 months earlier. He had surgery to remove the tumor, which Mark had nicknamed "Arnold" only 2 months prior to climbing with us.

As motivation for getting Brian back out there, Mark and CJ bolted a route, which they named "Arnold's Demise", but left it unclimbed with a sign asking climbers to choose another route, because they wanted to save the first ascent for Brian post surgery.

Brian leads the climb. Look down in the trees for sign marking the route.

It was pretty neat to watch Brian and Mark tackle the first ascent- anytime you get to watch someone who is at the top of their sport challenge themselves I find a better understanding of what draws people into their sport in the first place. Bruce and CJ climbed the route once Brian mark led the climb, and they all walked away feeling a bit of a redemption.

Mark watches and Belays Brian on Arnolds Demise.

I definitely walked away from our day of climbing with a lot more respect for the sport, and a greater appreciation for what the sport is about. I would certainly be keen to give it another go- and would absolutely spend some more time in Colorado Springs.

After a great two days, we hit the road again... keeping on our way to Tahoe .

Across America- East Coast to Canada

Its road trip time again! Only this year, a few things are a little different. Last year I drove out west on a purely paddling mission with some of the Demshitz crew- and had an amazing time. This year, I decided to head back out west in the interim between seasons, but add a little extra flavor to the trip.

My roommate Lisa and I had been planning our own epic route across America- with a few strategic stops for fun. We cleaned up and left our appartment in Killington - but not without adding another friend to our road trip crew.

Our friend Bruce came over to say goodbye, and we managed to convince him to join the trip instead. An hour later, we had booked him a flight, checked the Canadian customs website and sent him home with a packing list.

Lisa and Bruce right after Bruce decided to book his flight. Note how shocked he looks, and how excited Lisa looks!

We left Killington to head up to Lisa's home of Bath, ME to get organized and stop by the Maine coast.

We had a chilly toe dip in the Atlantic at Reid State Park- A beautiful coastal state park in southern Maine- before packing up the car and beginning the drive.

Lisa and Bruce brave the water

Anna fits in some yoga at the coast

We managed to somehow squeeze skis, snowboards, climbing shoes and kayak kit all in my subaru- not to mention some filet, twice baked potatoes and champagne, along with delicious turkey sandwiches thanks to Lisa's parents.

A small detour to Ottawa, Canada was in order to watch the premier of Dream Result, a film by Rush Sturges and Tyler Bradt. ( www.dreamresultmovie.com ) The film looks amazing, from what I saw in the bar- I was a little more concerned on getting to catch up with old friends from around the world.

We rolled out of Ottawa a little worse for the wear and decided to forgo our planned stop in Chicago- deciding instead to bust out a 30 hour nonstop drive to Colorado Springs to meet up with friends of Bruce.

The drive was Epic- thank god for Red Bull, Snuggies and 80's music- well needed on the 3 am stretch of the trip. You haven't had a true 80's rock out session until it is in the car after 20+ hours, at 4 am somewhere in Iowa.

Bruce drove through the worst of the flatlands while Lisa and I stayed entertained with the help of some on the road Mimosas.

After what seemed like forever- (that John Denver is full of shit!) we finally make it to the front range- where we were treated to a comfy bed and a delicious dinner.

The plan is spending a day or 2 here to regroup before continuing on our merry way through Colorado, Utah and California!

Emily Parker

Emily Parker, a UK paddler, tragically lost her life on April 6th in a paddling accident in Scotland.

I was fortunate enough to coach Emily a few days on the Nile during her 3 week stay and was impressed by her enthusiasm, as well as her desire to improve and push her limits. She was incredibly positive and determined to make the most of her time on the Nile, both on and off the river.

Emily getting coaching at Superhole with LiLi coach and founder Sam Ward.

I received this in an email this morning : "Her funeral was today, was obviously very sad but there was a huge turnout and it was clear how many lives she'd touched and showed how close the (UK/uni) paddling community is."

to show your support, go here:

http://www.ukriversguidebook.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=62492

My sincere condolences go out to the entire UK paddling community, as well as any other friends and family of Emily's.

Canoe and Kayak NZ

NZ Kayak Magazine used one of my photos from the Himalayan River Girls trip on their cover of issue 52 !

There were a few more photos of mine inside in the article, and a great write up on the trip, including where the girls are now.

Pretty exciting! Here is the the cover... and here is the link to view the issue, with the complete article inside.

http://www.canoeandkayak.co.nz/Kayak+Magazine.html#52

Revival

After a lengthy hiatus, i've decided to give this guy another go. Its funny to sit back down and try and get in the blogging mindset. Thanks to google analytics ( www.google.com/analytics ) I have realized there are a few that still check this blog... So...

To do a quick wrap up, here is how 2009 finished off, and 2010 started off. I spent another 6 months in Uganda, working for Kayak the Nile (www.kayakthenile.com). We had an amazing season, and surprisingly, stayed a bit busy.

KTN's new vehicles- loaded up with boats!

I picked up more responsibility as Jared headed home to Canada for the first time in a few years- and Jamie ran around the world to different trade shows, and weddings, while of course attempting to plan his own!

I effectively ran KTN in Jared and Jamie's absence, and had a great time doing it- although it meant less time on the water. It was an awesome experience that helped prepare me for the winter season- though i didn't know it at the time.

Highlights of the 2009 season in Uganda would be the infiltration of NRE with Kiwis- my friend Josh Neilson (filmaker/ kayaker from NZ) came out for another stint- which proved to be great fun - and it meant that we spent the greater part of October 2008- October 2009 together- with two months in Nepal, 2 weeks in Colorado, and 3 months in Uganda. Josh spent much of his time in Uganda filming for his next film- REALM, check out his blog for information www.whitewater-koa.blogspot.com

Josh and Ben collecting footage... check out the Hump at low water!

This is what i love about the whitewater scene- that you get to meet new people, and then you see them all over the world!

Josh wasn't the only Kiwi- There were several returning and new faces in the crowd- Kiwi and otherwise.

Other Highlights would be the attempted River Festival. In past years, Jamie and KTN, along with NRE and the Nile Breweries have put on anything from a 3-5 day festival, including down river and freestyle kayak events- with loads of partying- and boaters from all over the world. This years festival was much tamer- though we still saw an influx of boaters arriving from all over the world for it! There was no official competition, just a low key river trip down the day 2 stretch which led to plenty of carnage! Rafts flipped, beers were lost, more beers were drunk, new friends were made.

One of the trucks loaded up for the festival

Morgan and I re-united and having fun at the festival!

One of the highlights for the KTN season was the 5 day course we put on for the Kampala International School- one of the Ugandan private schools. Over the course of 5 days we taught 30 kids how to kayak- starting them in the pool, and eventually taking them down the day 2 stretch. It was tons of fun, and everyone enjoyed it! Quite hectic for a few days though- trying to find 30 kayaks and 30 sets of kit to fit 11-18 year old kids in varying sizes proved to be a challenge, but everything worked out spectacularly.

working on rolling

I flew home in in December for my cousin Jesse's wedding. It was a beautiful event, and a great opportunity to see the family.

Chilling with some of the cousins- all grown up and all dressed up!

The wedding was in Cancun- I was so sad that I wasn't able to bring a Kayak to get to explore some of Mexico's legendary whitewater. Jesse and Lior were married at sunset next to the beach- pretty spectacular.

On the plane ride home from Mexico, my grandmother, Rita, suffered a small stroke and a minor heart attack. It made for quite the exciting plane ride home- we got to emergency land the plane and bypass customs as we jumped into an ambulance to high-tail it to the hospital.

Unfortunately, Rita ended up passing away 2 weeks later. A New Years day funeral meant more family time- reminiscent of a bad movie title.. A wedding and a funeral in 2 weeks! Still- I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to get to know my family, especially cousins, better.

Clowning around with an ancient polaroid camera after Rita's funeral.

Rita was an amazing woman, and I am incredibly lucky to have had her in my life for as long as I did.

Rita and I in the Cancun airport, just before our flight back to New York

After the funeral I returned to Killington Vermont to work for another season- managing a ski shop right off the access road to the mountain. Its been a hectic season so far- I'll be sure to keep updating on winter antics, and even more exciting- upcoming spring fun!

photo upload a no go

I tried to upload photos taken of the silverback section of whitewater, but it turns out the files have all been corrupted. I will have to keep trying... But i haven't been able to get out paddling on my own much-Just as it looked like things were about to settle down, they've kicked up again. I've been working loads- and having a lot of fun with some more intermediate/advanced clients. Its been great because i've been able to push my own skills, in terms of coaching and on the river, and have even managed to do a few video sessions on some of the waves here. It is astounding how much more you gain from a training session by going back through and analyzing video- something i have really seen being put into practice from Lili coach/founder Sam Ward.

Jamie has gone to the UK for 10 days, and Jared has left us to go back to Canada for 6 months, leaving me in charge of KTN daily operations for the past week or so. Highly entertaining.. and good practice if i ever decide to attempt to run my own business! You start to realize how much working managing even a small company like KTN is.

It has been a busy month for much of the kayaking industry, with the World Championships for freestyle kayaking taking place in Thun, Switzerland last week. It has been highly entertaining, and mildly frustrating attempting to follow the news on what can be painstaking slow internet. I had lots of friends over at worlds, and a big crew of Ugandan residents/visitors were over there as well.

One of our guides, Ibra Mugembe, and Paulo Babi one of the rafting guides had the opportunity to compete for Uganda in the kayak championships- alongside another friend and former guide off the Nile.. All did well, With Timmy Flowers taking 76th overall, Paulo in 61st, and Ibra placing 36th, just missing a shot at quarter finals. Anton, one of the video boaters out on the Nile finished 26th overall- showing again how great this river is for training... and of course how much you can do with natural ability...

It was exciting and encouraging to see so many friends do well- the competition and the lengthy amount of time required to check results provided a welcome distraction from the work week. For full results, check out www.kayaksession.com

I have also just learned that Canoe and Kayak New Zealand Magazine has decided to publish an article on the Himalayan River Girls, and the progress they have made. One of the girls, Sussmita, was even able to go and compete at worlds in Switzerland. I'm sure it was an amazing opportunity for her, and a great way to build awareness within the international kayaking community. At any rate, Canoe and Kayak NZ has decided to use one of my photographs taken on the trip as their cover shot! Pretty exciting for me- I can't wait to see a copy.

Thats about it for now Photos to come, internet permitting... sigh..

pretty as a princess

I remember as a kid begging my mom and dad to let me sleep under mosquito netting. It was a short lived phase, as they never acquiesced to my (admittedly) ridiculous requests. I wanted mosquito netting because it seemed so royal- and princess like- at the age of seven. The fine white netting tied in a ring above my bed (note: i grew up in a room with about seven foot ceilings. An NBA player wouldn't be able to stand up straight in there) , floating down around to tuck into my bed cushions to make me feel protected and important. My parents saw fine white netting to get dirty and torn and be one more thing to be a mess in my room. Smart Parents.

Flash forward 15 years or so: I now live in a country where i sleep under a mosquito net everynight. Not by choice, entirely, but as the best protection from malaria. Having just experienced my first bout with Malaria- i am even more a fan of my mozzie net then ever. Instead of being white and gathered- my mozzie net is blue and square, treated with insecticide, and hangs above my bed from a small wooden frame. One of my nighttime rituals has become to makesure it is properly tucked in. "pretty as a princess".

It is funny how used to seomthing to get- coming home to the staes, or sleping somewhere that there isn't a net- i now immediately feel a little exposed. The fact of the matter is- out here, sleeping under an insecticde treated mozzie net everynight is the best way- for us and the locals to protect against malaria. It is the principal Soft Power Health stresses every week when the go out and visit villages, selling their cost-subsidized nets to the locals.

My own bout with malaria (zero fun) has made this even more evident to me.

besides the malaria front, the past few weeks have been a busy time out here as the last of the summer tourism scene makes its way through jinja. Lots of birthdays and celebrations this month as well as lots of work on the river. It is just now starting to quiet down, and i think we are all a little excited about it.

Thats about all for the moment... its gone quiet and time to start some planning for some future missions.

Back in Black

Hard to believe that two weeks have passed already since leaving the States to come back to Uganda. Things are going well, and i hve been reasonably busy with work. There has been work for kayak school the past 5 days- ( i know, its almost like a real job! ) And the rafting trips have been fully booked several days this week. Hard to believe considering how quiet the campsite here seems in relation to my memories of last summer. Where there used to be Overland trucks here almost everynight, ther have been three or four trucks in the past 2 weeks.

The river has been changing almost everyday as well- The boys reported that the diggers at Silverback come right up to the waters edge now, and have caused the rapid to change again. Its frightening how much has been deforested already- and how barren the shore looks. the boys of the raft trip yesterday say that the first wave was almost gone, but the 4th wave made a major comeback. It will be interesting to see how the rapid keeps fluxuating and changing in the next few months.

Im going to try and take advantage of this section as much as possible in the next few months- but we will see. Other then that- things are pretty much the same around here. There have been many new buildings built up around the gate, new shops and chapati stands. There seem to be less boda boda men as well, perhaps in response to fewer kayakers coming to stay and go for Silver back runs. Still, the rafting video goes off in the NRE bar at 9, and life goes on.

Welcome Back

After much deliberation this winter and spring, I made the decision to return to the White Nile River in Uganda to work for the remainder of the summer season.  I'll be teaching kayaking for Kayak the Nile and leading sit-on-top trips for Kayak Cruises. Check out the website to book trips or see what i'll be doing at www.kayakthenile.com

It was a hard decision to come back- but made the choice to be here for the last bit of time before the top section gets dammed this coming year. The river is as beautiful as always, if a bit low.  

I arrived back in Jinja on Saturday, and have worked a few days already, partied a few nights already, and am starting to get back into the swing of things.  

Its good to be back- everyone has been extremely welcoming, from my friends, the people I work with, and even the locals.  Everywhere i have gone so far i have recieved encouraging "Welcome Back"s!  Its always flattering to have felt missed, and also flattering to have people surprised that i left. It feels oddly normal to be back here, though the leisurely lifestyle doesn't seem quite as appealing as it did last year.  All in all, good to be doing something, and happy to get some sun! 

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Lyons to Ottawa

After a terrific time at the Teva Mtn Games, it was off to Lyons Colorado for the much smaller, more local friendly Lyons Outdoors Games. To be honest, it was one of my favorite events on the entire Colorado circuit this spring. The smaller feel was friendly and inviting, and the games still provided a tough creek race on the South St. Vrain, a steep class 4+-5 creek, (won by Tao Berman, with Pat Keller coming in a close second) as well as a boater cross, slalom race and an amateur, cadet and pro rodeo. That isn't even including the non kayaking events- sadly, i did not make it off the river long enough to see the moutain biking or chainsaw events- maybe next year! 

Lyons was good fun- i ended up competing in the Not so Pro (Ho) rodeo instead of doing the pro womens. I had a great time, and had a suprisingly good ride for me- with a loop, a space godzilla, and i think they even scored me on an accidental cartwheel! The Not So Pro Ho rodeo was myself, Taylor Cote and Jessica Yurtinus. Having three of us meant that the womens class was separate from the amateur mens- and we all had a lot of fun. I narrowly beat Jess for first place- earning my first ever kayak rodeo winnings!!! 

The hole in Lyons was forgiving, if a little flushy- and great for trying and learning moves. After the rodeo i sat for ages working on cartwheels and loops- just trying to get more consistent. The feature even inspired Pat Keller to get back in a "playboat" of sorts- borrowing one of the locals RPMs and throwing down. Its not everyday you get to see someone Tricky Woo an RPM... The weeend was pretty friendly all around- with locals climbing right out on the rocks to take pictures of their kayak heros as they played and practiced- a nice campsite to stay at- and good burgers at Oskar Blues restaurant. 

Pat Keller Throws around an RPM while its owner watches. Photo Adriene Levknecht. (for those of you who don't know, an RPM is twice the length of todays playboats, making it twice as hard- or more- to use) 

After Lyons, it was off to Salida for FIBark - or the First In Boating on the ARKansas river. FIBark, is i believe the oldest whitewater festival in the states. I decided not to compete in any of the events, but had a great time hanging out and getting to see Salida. There is a ton of great boating in the area- from the Pine Creek (where the Pine Creek race is held) to easier sections like the Numbers, the Fractions and Browns Canyon. 

BoaterCross on Pine Creek. 

I think the Salida/Buena Vista area is my favorite in Colorado- friendly, nestled in the Mountains, and still easily accessible. FIBark was also fun because i got to meet up with John Harvey and Lisa Sewell, friends from PA. I got to run the fractions with John, and then later got to run Browns canyon with another friend who showed up- Amy Jimmerson. It was great to get to catch up with Amy a bit- and Browns canyon is a beautiful, classic grade 3-4 Must Do run in the area.  That evening there was one of the most spectacular sunsets i have seen which we got to enjoy, sipping beer back at the put-in to Browns. It was, alltogether, a great last weekend in Colorado. 

Sunset at Browns Canyon. 

Immediately after Salida- I set off on an epic drive across the states and Canada to head towards the Ottawa river. I stopped to spend a day in Larned, Kansas with my sister and her boyfriend Fraser as they travel across the US from East to west on their bicycles (check out their blog www.144spokes.blogspot.com) . Kansas was hot and humid- but it was great to see Iz and catch up a bit. 

Catching up with Iz in Larned- at Fort Larned- a historial landmark and living history museaum in Larned, Kansas. 

I took a few detours getting there, thanks to my GPS- but got see some random things along the way! Here is a photo of a homemade statue in the front yard of some guys farm in the middle of Kansas. There must have been 50 of them! 

As hot and humid as Larned was, the people there were super friendly- a local pastor let us spend the night in his (AIR CONDITIONED! ) Church before we all headed out early the next morning. Iz and Fraser started biking around 4:30 am to try and beat the heat and the headwinds, while i stayed and tryed to do some interneting until 6 am or so. As i was leaving Kansas, there was an amazing rainbow- reminding me of Dorothy in the Wizard of OZ- "Somewhere over the Rainbow, way up high,.. " 

After Larned my drive continued on, with a breakdown in Bevier, Missouri, where i had the pleasure of meeting and dining with a new friend George while my alternator was replaced, a quick trip to Chicago to see an old friend, Lots of traffic and U- turns before finally arriving on the Ottawa river just in time for an '80s party at Wilderness tours. 

I drove up to Ottawa to meet up with my parents- who were on there way for a canoe club trip. Getting to spend a week on the Ottawa playing at corner wave, and hanging out with new and old friends made it one of the best weeks of my year- I only wish i had spent more time there! (and eaten more putine! Mm french fries and gravy) I got to try out the new Jackson Star on my last surf session, and have to admit that i had a great time. The boat was fast, loose and fun on a wave, while still responsive and stable. Im excited to see what the athletes do with it in Switzerland.. IT was Canada day while i was in Ontario, adding even more to my trip than kayaking. I got to spend some time catching up with one of my college roomates and wandering around the beautiful city of Ottawa, in adidtion to kayaking. Life doesn't get much better then that. 

Catching up : team trials and teva

After Steamboat, I jumped out of the Demshitz van and back into my car for the rest of the Colorado tour. I headed to Glenwood Springs to get some practice in for team trials while Demshitz continued their "tour de stouts". Glenwood was great because I got to meet up with Karl Moser- a friend from Uganda who I hadn't seen since his wedding last fall. It was terrific catching up with Karl, and having them there as a friend and coach. KArl is also a phenomnenal freestyle kayaker- and I was able to learn a lot having him around. Karl and I both did well in prelims, myself placing 5th on a big aerial backstab, and Karl placing 4th with a flurry of moves and combinations.

Karl cleanblunting his way into Semi Finals

The Glenwood wave is a manmade feature that goes almost across the whole river. The levels kept changing throughout the weekend, making it difficult for everyone. Unfortunately, Both Karl and myself struggled as the wave greened out in Semi finals the following day, each placing 10th, and not making it to finals. In finals, Each of the women flushed off the wave without scoring any points on their first rides- but managed to pull off some moves in their 2nd and third rides. The Overall results for the womens world freestyle team in 2009 were Emily Jackson, Ariene Levkenecht, Elaine Campell and Jessie Stone. Congrats to all the women on the team, and those who competed- it was a tough competiton and everyone did well. The final team for the Men was Brian Kirk, Stephen Wright, Johnny Meyers, Chris Stafford and Rush Sturges. EJ will also be competeing at worlds, as last years champion, he has a buy that places him through the competiton despite his 8th place finish.

spectators at team trials

The other great thing about Glenwood was meeting new people, such as the Palmer family- a kayaking family who welcomed Karl, Myself, and many others into their home during team trials and beyond. Its people like the Palmers that make the kayaking community so friendly. The Palmers werent the only ones to show support, as many people from the Glenwood community also stopped by to cheer on the boaters and get a glimpse of what was going on.

While at team trials I ran into a friend of mine from college completely by chance! It was great to get to catch up with him, and several other friends, which I did by visiting in Aspen. After that, there seemed to be Colby Alum popping out of the wordwork in almost everytown i went to! Such a small world, really.

After team trials it was off to the Teva Mtn Games in Vail for more Kayaking and a chance to catch up with friends. Teva is probably the biggest of the games on the tour, and it encompasses much more than freestyle boating, though freestyle is one of the more popular events to watch.

The crowd gathers for a freestyle showdown. Photo Ron Fisher. 

 The Mtn Games bost a variety of sports, from Rock Climbing and Mountain Biking and a mud run,  to a Hill Climb and Big Air competition for Dogs. There is something happening pretty much every minute of the weekend, making it fun for competitors and spectators. There are also tons of vendor stands demo-ing new preformance enhancing, hyrdrating products.

Mud Run. Photo Ron Fisher

The Mtn games kicked off with the homestake creek race, an extreme kayak race down a steep, techincal grade 5 creek known as Homestake. 

Scouting Homestake. 

It is a tough race, and i was happy to take pictures. Kiwi Mike Dawson won it for the Men, with another Kiwi, Nikki Kelly barely taking it for the women, Tanya Faux in a close second. 

Teva Athlete Mike Dawson ploughs through the waves to first place. 

American Adriene Levkenecht took third for the women. Tao Berman and Pat Keller placed not far behind Mike in 2nd and 3rd. There was definitley some carnage, with a broken boat, a dislocated shoulder and one swim- reminding everyone how challenging the race really is.

Caspar Van Kalmthout boofing at Homestake. 

The freestyle events turned into a bit of a Jackson showdown as Jackson unveiled their new boat, the redesigned superstar for 2009. The boat is shorter, with more volume, and loops to huge new heights, as demonstrated here by Jackson team paddlers Stephen Wright and Dustin Urban. 

Stephen with a massive Space Godzilla

Dustin bringing new meaning to the term "Aerial Loop" 

The women were going almost as huge as the men, despite not having new Jackson boats to play in, showing why freestyle is one of the more popular events to spectate at the mountain games. 

Adriene Levknecht throws down in her Biscuit. 

Of course, The Teva Mtn Games wouldn't be Teva without a party- completed Friday night with an "Under the sea ball" and more fun times had by all through-out the weekend. 

 Josh and I make the most of a photo op before heading out to the ball. 

Sunday finished off the kayaking events with the 8 ball competition- a type of downriver race boater cross, complete with Human obstacles. All in all, a great weekend.